FDA proposes "voluntary" reductions of antibiotics for animals

When cows were first given antibiotics decades ago, consumers were told it would never have an impact on humans. We now know that the drugs such as antibiotics and steroids given to animals do impact humans. That's why there's a problem with some antibiotics no longer working on humans, and why an increasing number of young girls have breasts far before their time.

Kindly asking industry to do the right thing is weak, and ignores the real world problems (it also ignores the fact that the administration asked Wall Street to do the right thing and how did that work out for them?). But hey, it's not socialist and the administration wants to avoid that tag at all costs.

The Food and Drug Administration called on drug companies Wednesday to help limit the use of antibiotics in farm animals, a decades-old practice that scientists say has contributed to a surge in dangerous, drug-resistant bacteria.

Antibiotic drugs like penicillin are routinely mixed with animal feed and water to help livestock, pigs and chickens put on weight and stay healthy in crowded barns. Scientists have warned that such use leads to the growth of antibiotic-resistant germs that can be passed on to humans.

The FDA has struggled for decades with how to tackle the problem because the powerful agriculture industry argues the drugs are a key part of modern meat production.

Joe reports on AMERICAblog Gay that rather than require federal contractors not discriminate against gays, the administration is simply going to "urge" them not to discriminate. Good luck with that.

When cows were first given antibiotics decades ago, consumers were told it would never have an impact on humans. We now know that the drugs such as antibiotics and steroids given to animals do impact humans. That's why there's a problem with some antibiotics no longer working on humans, and why an increasing number of young girls have breasts far before their time.

Kindly asking industry to do the right thing is weak, and ignores the real world problems (it also ignores the fact that the administration asked Wall Street to do the right thing and how did that work out for them?). But hey, it's not socialist and the administration wants to avoid that tag at all costs.

The Food and Drug Administration called on drug companies Wednesday to help limit the use of antibiotics in farm animals, a decades-old practice that scientists say has contributed to a surge in dangerous, drug-resistant bacteria.

Antibiotic drugs like penicillin are routinely mixed with animal feed and water to help livestock, pigs and chickens put on weight and stay healthy in crowded barns. Scientists have warned that such use leads to the growth of antibiotic-resistant germs that can be passed on to humans.

The FDA has struggled for decades with how to tackle the problem because the powerful agriculture industry argues the drugs are a key part of modern meat production.

Joe reports on AMERICAblog Gay that rather than require federal contractors not discriminate against gays, the administration is simply going to "urge" them not to discriminate. Good luck with that.

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